Napa Valley Cottage life and Fresh Chopped Salad

Napa Valley is a place I would love to visit. Tour the gorgeous vineyards, sample wonderful wines and stay in beautiful bed and breakfasts. These are photos from a cottage in Napa Valley - my kind of cottage! I could live in this shower all summer...

I love the photo above, a touch of roughness. Beautiful. I could picture making this salad in that kitchen. My mom brought it over one summer evening a couple of weeks ago, it was so delicious!!!! So refreshing for summer. You can serve it over tortilla chips or just eat it as a salad like we did. Enjoy your cottage if you have one. If not, make this salad and enjoy your own personal summer surroundings. Bon appetit!

¼ cup olive oil ½ tsp. minced jalapeno

2 ears of corn, husked 2 cups diced sweet peppers

3 small tortillas cut into ¼ inch strips 2 cups halved cherry tomatoes

¼ cup fresh squeezed lime juice 2 cups canned black beans….rinsed and drained

3 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro 1 avocado..pitted and diced

1 tsp. brown sugar 2 celery ribs, diced

1 tsp. chopped garlic

Place tortillas on baking pan and bake until tortillas are crispy and golden brown.

Cook corn on the cob and cool and then cut corn kernels from the cobs and set aside.

Dice peppers, slice tomatoes and chop cilantro.

Put peppers, tomatoes, black beans and corn in large bowl plus celery if using.

In blender, combine olive oil, lime juice, cilantro, sugar, garlic and jalepeno and puree until smooth to make vinaigrette.

Toss veggies with the vinaigrette. Add avocado and gentlyl toss again. Serve garnished with tortilla chips.

ENJOY!!!!!

~photos from House Beautiful, recipe from my mom, Linda

Dreamy Sheds and a Spring Salad

I know what you're thinking. Sheds? Dreamy? Well, take a peek at these fancy sheds that have been converted to outdoor retreats!

This shed was converted into an outdoor family room!

This one is used as a potting shed

This is the garden plot next to the potting shed. The garden plot is used to test colour schemes. Gorgeous!

This is the inside of the potting shed. Adorable!

Not so much a shed but I loved this outdoor cabana. Heavenly!

So now you need something to take out to your converted shed, something light and springy. Perfect time for a spring salad!





~ 1/4 cup olive oil
~ 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest and 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
~ 1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar
~ 1 teaspoon sugar
~ Coarse salt and ground pepper

~ 2 heads Boston lettuce, cored and torn into bite-size pieces
~ 1 head radicchio, cored and torn into bite-size pieces
~ 4 scallions, thinly sliced
~ 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved

Make vinaigrette: In a small bowl, whisk together oil, lemon zest and juice, vinegar, and sugar; season with salt and pepper. (To store, refrigerate up to 3 days.)

When ready to serve salad, place lettuce, radicchio, scallions, and tomatoes in a large bowl; add vinaigrette, and toss to combine. Serve immediately.

~ Recipe from Martha Stewart.com

~ Photos from Sunset.com

Asian Chicken Salad

Good ole Giada on the Food Network. I love her! This recipe was a hit in my house. Even the kids ate it and liked it!!

Salad:
1 large carrot, peeled
3 cups shredded napa cabbage, from 1 small cabbage (we used all romaine lettuce)
3 cups shredded romaine lettuce, from 1 small lettuce
1 small red bell pepper, seeded and deveined, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons fresh Thai basil leaves or fresh mint leaves, chopped** see Cook's Note
2 cups thinly sliced store-bought rotisserie chicken (about 2 small chicken breasts)
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted** see Cook's note
1 tablespoon toasted white or black sesame seeds*

Dressing:
1/4 cup peanut or vegetable oil
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar*
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, optional
Directions
1/2 cup chow mein noodles, for garnish

For the salad: Using a vegetable peeler, shave the carrot and add to a large salad bowl. Stir in the cabbage, lettuce, pepper, Thai basil, chicken, almonds, and sesame seeds.

For the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, soy sauce, vinegar, and sugar until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, if using.

Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well. Garnish with the chow mein noodles and serve.

*Cook's Note: can be found in specialty Asian markets

**Cook's Note: To toast the slivered almonds, arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F oven for 8 to 10 minutes until lightly golden. Cool completely before using.

Grilled Avocado and Tomato Salad

This recipe was in the latest Kraft email that I received. It looks so good. I never knew you could grill avocado??

4 large avocadoes (1-1/2 lb./675 g)
3 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 cups grape tomatoes, cut in half
1/2 cup finely chopped red onions 2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup KRAFT Extra Virgin Olive Oil Pesto Parmesan Vinaigrette Dressing
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted

HEAT barbecue to medium heat.

CUT avocados lengthwise in half; remove and discard pits. Scoop out flesh of each half in one piece with large spoon. Add to lemon juice in medium bowl; turn over to evenly coat both sides of each. Transfer avocados to barbecue; set juice aside for later use.

GRILL avocados 4 min. or until lightly browned on both sides, turning after 2 min. Return avocados to bowl of juice; turn over. Let stand in juice until cooled. Drain; discard juice. Cut avocados into 1/2-inch cubes; place in large bowl.

ADD all remaining ingredients except pine nuts; mix lightly. Transfer to platter; top with pine nuts.

Broccoli Salad with Avocado

I always get Dr. Andrew Weil's newsletters, I like his Eastern and Western approach to medicine. He also includes some recipes and this was one that sounded good and that I am going to try. It contains two superfoods!

~ 1 lb. broccoli

~ 1 ripe avocado

~ 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

~ 2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice

~ 1 Tbsp. grainy prepared mustard

Trim and wash the broccoli and cut it into bite-sized pieces. Steam or boil the broccoli in a large pot until it is just crunchy-tender and bright green, then drain it well, and cool.

Peel and pit the avocado, then cut it into small cubes. Fold the avocado into the broccoli.

Whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, and mustard together in a small bowl, until well mixed.

Toss the broccoli and avocado with the dressing.

~ from Drweil.com

Italian Lentil Salad

Giada made this on her show today. It is easy and healthy. Another recipe I'm going to try.

~ 1 pound green lentils (recommended: Sabarot)
~ 2 scallions, chopped
~ 1 cup halved seedless green grapes
~ 1 cup halved seedless red grapes
~ 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
~ 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
~ 1/2 cup coarsely chopped skinned and toasted hazelnuts
~ 2 teaspoons lemon zest (from about 2 lemons)

Vinaigrette:

~ 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (from 1 to 2 lemons)
~ 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
~ 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
~ 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the Salad:

Directions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the lentils and cook until tender, stirring occasionally, about 18 to 20 minutes. Drain and let cool for 5 minutes. Place lentils and remaining salad ingredients in a large salad bowl.

For the Vinaigrette:
Place the lemon juice in a small bowl. Slowly add the oil, whisking constantly, until combined. Season with salt and pepper, to taste

Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and toss well.

Greek Couscous

I threw this together for lunch today and it was yummy.

~ 1 serving of couscous, cooked according to package (couldn't be easier, just boil the water, add couscous, take off heat and let sit for 5 minutes)

~ 1 small tomato diced

~ 1/2 c. cucumber diced

~ feta cheese (of course, my fave)

~ a few dashes of dill

~ a tablespoon of your favourite salad dressing (I used greek with feta and oregano.  You could also use Italian, oil and vinegar etc.)

Mix together and eat.  Two of my girls saw me eating this today, tried it and wanted more.  2 out of 3 ain't bad.  It's light and full of flavour, enjoy!

Lemon Couscous Salad

I love couscous! It is so versatile, you can add anything to it. This is a light, fresh salad. I didn't let mine sit for as long as the recipe calls for. It was good but letting it sit longer will let the flavours come together. Next time, I'll try to have more patience. So delicious!


2 cups quick-cooking couscous
3/4 cup lemon juice
3/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh mint
2 x medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 x onion, minced
Salt and pepper

Stir together the couscous, lemon juice, and olive oil. Set aside to plump and soften, 1 to 2 hours, at room temperature, stirring occasionally. It's ready when the grains are al dente. Stir through the herbs, tomatoes, pepper, and onion. Season well, adding more lemon juice to taste if needed. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

~ Recipe courtesy of 'French Food at Home'

Welcome!

Welcome to a blog dedicated to the age-old question, What's to Eat, Mom? I am a mom of 3 young girls, wife to a wonderful hubby, who is a GREAT cook! And everyday, we have the same dilemma, what to cook for supper. I know you do too and that's why I wanted to create this blog (that plus I LOVE blogging). Our girls all have different tastes so we are always looking for meals that appeal to everyone. We do not want to be making three different meals every single night.

My sister and I email each other everyday asking each other, what's for supper? Sometimes we inspire each other with a meal idea or at the very least, we make the other feel like we are not alone! Someone else out there is also trying to figure out what to make for dinner. And not only that, but what we try to make healthy choices for our family that appeal to every member of our family! Tall order, don't ya think? You are not alone!

So please feel free to leave a comment with a recipe you love, or a new meal idea you had. I will post them on my blog for everyone to try!

Enjoy!

What's for dinner tonight?
On our menu:

Baked trout (season with herbs and spices you like, bake at 375F for 20-25 minutes - EASY!)
Cucumber, Tomato and Onion salad (chop into bite-sized pieces, toss with your favourite salad dressing)
Mixed berries for dessert

Yum!